An interview with Close Brothers’ Head of Health & Safety & Environment, Sally Griffin

What has Close Brothers’ environmental reporting journey looked like to date?

Here at Close Brothers we care about the environment we operate in and are aware of our responsibility to protect natural resources and to behave sustainably. We believe, that as a financial services company, our environmental impact is limited and mostly driven by staff travel, our supply chain and our office network.

For many organisations the supply chain is becoming an increasing area of focus, and this is not just because of the increasing risks posed by more global and complex supply chains, but also due to the opportunities presented.

In recent years there has been increased scrutiny placed upon those organisations whose supply chains contain sub-standard suppliers, producers or factories. Whereas previously issues with working conditions, for example, may have been directed at employers or owners, the new norm is that those at the top of the supply chain should be exerting a more positive influence.

Greenstone is updating its SupplierPortal software to make it even easier for clients to manage and monitor all of their suppliers. We have listened to client feedback and seen the increasing need for more standardised supplier management processes and software.

SupplierPortal is designed to help your organisation manage all of your suppliers in one place. For many of our clients, sending out supplier assessment questionnaires through SupplierPortal means engaging with only a proportion of their overall supplier network, and while this can be sufficient often the remaining suppliers still need to be understood and managed. The SupplierPortal solution, particularly with the addition of new contract management functionality, ensures greater transparency across your entire supplier network.

The European Union (EU) Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD) came into force in December 2014, with the deadline for member states to introduce the provisions passing late last year. Despite the vote for Brexit, the UK remains a full EU member until negotiations are concluded, meaning companies will have to comply with the new reporting requirements of the UK’s implementation. Here is everything you need to know and what you need to do.